Method of washing bottle filling machines



Aug. 29, 1944. A. KONRAD METHOD OF WASHING BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES Filed, March 15, 1943 flwiz all IN VEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 29, 1944 Ms'rnon 0F WASHING BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES Alexander Konrad, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 15, 1943, Serial No. 479,270

' 2 Claims. (01. 134-23) This invention relates to a method of washing filling machines of those types utilized for successively filling'bottles with milk, carbonated liquids, juices and other beverages.

It has been the practice heretofore to mount quantities of bottles on an endless conveyer which feeds the bottles insuccession to the filling machine, the bottles, submquently to the filling operation, being sealed and delivered automatically.

Obviously following a day's run of the filling equipment, it is desirable to thoroughly clean the apparatus in order that contamination of the fluid distributed during thesucceeding run shall not occur. In many states it is required to thoroughly flush the filling machinery upon the 'completion of each day of service or upon the completion of a predetermined number of hours. In

' so that it will be ready for further use without danger of contamination of the distributed liquid. It is a further object to provide a method for this purpose which can be utilized without the services of highly skilled labor, and, consequently, at low cost.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention resides in certain steps of the method hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the method and the means employed in carrying out the have been illustrated.

In said drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a bot-.- tle-fllling machine of a well known type equipped with a means whereby thorough cleansing of the machine can be eiIected.

Figure 2 is an enlarged central vertical section through one of the members used in carrying out the method constituting the present invention. V

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Flame 4 is a central vertical section, on a same I which will appear as the description proceeds,

greatly reduced scale, of a modified form of tubular member.

Bottle-filling machines, as generally employed, include a filler bowl, a portion of which has been indicated at A and which is adapted tobe supplied with mllk or other fluid to be bottled, through a pipe B. Depending from the bowl is a. circular series of filler valves or nozzles C while below these-valves or nozzles are bottle supports D adapted to rotate with the bowl A and to move upwardly and downwardly in properly timed succession relative to the bowl so that each bottle will be successively raised so as. to thrust against nd open the filler valve, maintained in its raised position until the bottle is filled, and then be lowered so. as to permit the valve to close and to free the bottle from the valve. As a part of the filling apparatus there is also provided an endless conveyer on which empty bottles are placed in a line so that they can be brought in proper succession to the bottle supports D, the.

said bottles, after being filled, being carried off to a capping mechanism. The foregoing apparatus is all well known to those skilled in the art and, in itself, constitutes no part of the present invention.

As has heretofore been stated it is necessary, in order to prevent contamination of fluid, to

clean the filling apparatus at regular intervals and this cleaning operation must be thorough in order to meet health requirements. The operation of cleaning the apparatus has been prolonged and difiicult. In the present case, however, the cleaning operation is effected by utilizing a plurality of tubular members or flush tubes I. These members are of the same general size and proportions as the bottles which ordinarily are to be filled by the machine but they differ ,from said bottles in that they are open both at the top and bottom. In the structure illustrated in Figs. r 2 and 3 the open top of the tube I is formed with a series of recesses 2 extending downwardly thereinto so as to provide radial outlet openings. A similar construction is provided at the open bottom of the tube where recesses 3 are formed in the bottom. edge of the wall to provide outlets.

These flushing tubes .are not to be used until such time as the filling apparatus is to be cleaned. When that time arrives a number of these flush tubes are placed in regular succession on the conveyer usually provided for supplying containers to the filling machine. The supply oi liquid to the bowl A is out on in the usual manner and a supply of wet steam or other cleansing medium is directed into the bowl A, as by opening a valve 4 in a supply pipe 6 which can open into the pipe B. When the flush tubes reach the filling machine and are deposited on the respective supports D, they will be carried by the supports in the same manner as were the containers previously filled and at the proper time each of these flush tubes will be thrust upwardly so as to open the filler valve engaged thereby. As a result thereof a portion of the cleansing medium will be released into the flush tube and will escape through the top and bottomopenings 2 and 3, flowing downwardly to any suitable trough or the like under the machine provided for the purpose of collecting the waste cleansing medium. In order to release the cleansing fluid from the bowl it is essential that the parts of the valve be shifted in the same manner as when they are releasing fiuid into bottles. Therefore all of those surfaces of these parts which had been exposed to the dispensed fluid will be exposed to the cleansing medium and will become thoroughly scalded and cleansed. As the flush tubes are deliverd from the machine they can be reused if desired or a suflicient number of these tubes can be used at one run to insure two or more cleansing operations at each of the filler valves.

Obviously the size and shape of the flush tubes can be changed to meet the requirements. If ordinary beverage bottles have been used, the filler tubes will simulate the bottles both in size and shape. In other words the flush tubes are so shaped and proportioned that they can travel where the tubes are mounted on supports through the apparatus with the same ease and accuracy as do the containers to which the apparatus has been adjusted.

Instead of providing corrugated-ends of the tube walls, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the structure could be modified in other ways. For example, and as shown in Fig. 4, an annular series of openings 1 could be formed in the tube 8 near the open top thereof while, instead of providing a tube the bottom of which has been entirely removed, said tube can have a bottom 9 provided with a plurality of apertures Hi. This construction would be advantageous more especially through which a cleansing medium can drain.

It has been found in practice that by utilizing flush tubes in the manner herein explained the cleaning of the filling apparatus can be effected not only thoroughly so as to meet all requirements, but the time consumed in completing the washing operation will be greatly reduced and will therefore result in a considerable saving in cost.

It will be noted that with the aid of the flush tubes, there would be no excuse for the operator to place his hands in the filler bowl after cleaning. In the past, this has been a prime source of contamination, as the valves had to be reassembled from the inside after sterilization.

What is claimed is:

l. The herein described method of cleaning a bottle-filling machine of the type utilizing a rotary series of filling valves and a rotary series of bottle supports, said valves'belng adapted to open when bottles are raised thereagainst and to close when the bottles are lowered, which includes the step of feeding into the machine in lieu of the bottles, a succession of flush tubes of the same length as the bottles and open at the top and bottom, and directing into the machine a cleansing fluid to be released through the valves when opened by pressure of the tubes thereagainst.

2. The herein described method of cleaning a bottle-filling machine of the type utilizing normally closed filling valves and means for supporting containers and thrusting them toward and from the valves to open and close said valves, including the step of directing a cleansing medium into the machine for normal retention by the closed valve, and directing into the machine in lieu of containers flush tubes of substantially the same length as the containers each having a top inlet and a bottom outlet respectively, thereby to utilize each tube as a means for opening one of the valves and releasing the cleansing medium into the tube.

ALEXANDER KONRAD. 

